


Resolving the Question

by Porphyrios



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Breezehome (Elder Scrolls), Casual Sex, Daedra (Elder Scrolls), Emotional Baggage, First Time, Like Real Baggage, M/M, Open Marriage, Oral Sex, PWP, Praise Kink, Size Kink, Sorry Guys Its Basically Just Porn, Uncertainty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:48:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25408690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Porphyrios/pseuds/Porphyrios
Summary: Marius the Dovahkiin returns to Whiterun because of a rumor, but one of his neighbors has a problem.  He offers to help if he can, but the problem (and its solution) are both unexpected, and neither man are prepared for what happens.
Relationships: Argis the Bulwark/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Ulfberth War-Bear
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Resolving the Question

As he passed through the gates, looking like any of a dozen other weary travelers, the scent of the reborn Gildergreen's blossoms filled the air with a light airy fragrance redolent of jasmine. The evening light painted everything in the shades of gold and red that Marius remembered from his first time here several years ago, fresh from his encounter with the first dragon he (or anyone else) had ever seen. It was a shame Argis hated Whiterun so strongly; a wave of homesickness swept over him at the sight of Breezehome and the company of his husband would be welcome. Instead, he was here, and Argis was probably plowing that priest Verulus every day. He wasn't jealous exactly, but... he hated the idea that someone else was getting the joy of his husband's almost endless sex drive while he was here in a dusty old house full of bad memories.

Marius had never been a fan of Whiterun, and the place hadn't improved since the last time he was there. It was a pretty enough place, Nord half-timbered houses dotted around and picturesque stone walls, but it was still barely a village by the standards of Cyrodiil. And by the gods, the townsfolk were so dreadfully provincial! He slipped through the door using all the stealth skills that had served him well in his adventures; the musty, closed-up smell of the room made his heart clench with memories as he started the fire in the fire pit and used a few spells to tidy up. With the dust gone and fresh flowers strewn about it looked more like a home and less like a museum. As he went up the steps and passed the room that had been Lydia's, he stopped and reached out one hand as though to open the door, but shook his head and went into the master bedroom instead. He could half-see her still seated at the table, eating bread, watching the bed, and the memory was so strong he almost cast a protective circle. Sighing, he put his things away.

After only a small bit of time, Marius realized that staying in this house with all its memories was a bad idea. Perhaps coming here at all was a mistake. Still, rumors of a rogue dragon were nothing to ignore; he still remembered what had happened to Kynesgrove when he assumed no dragon would be bold enough to challenge his mandate. A pang of guilt pierced him at the memory. Last he had heard, the survivors were rebuilding, but it was sure to be a slow process. He wasn't a fan of Whiterun, but he certainly didn't want anything similar to happen here. Besides, it cost him nothing but time to check the dragon walls and make sure none of his unwilling charges were nesting there. More bad memories, he snorted. Perhaps company is in order.

Leaving his house, Marius saw that dusk had fallen while he was inside. Townspeople still wandered the streets, but he made his way unchallenged to the Bannered Mare. He got his order with no fanfare, careful to keep his hood up and his face covered, and took a small table in the back away from everyone else. Just the bustle of the busy common room was comforting, easing the press of so many dark memories. Lost in his thoughts, Marius barely noticed someone walking nearby until a deep, growling voice penetrated his thoughts.

"You're at my usual spot, friend," made Marius jump a bit. So much for situational awareness, he grinned mentally. Looking up, he saw Ulfberth, owner of Warmaiden's. At the same moment, Ulfberth saw his face clearly and blanched a bit. "Dragonborn, I..."

"Shh, no titles please," Marius said softly. "Sorry to take your spot. Please, join me." he waved a lazy hand to indicate the other seat. After a moment's pause, Ulfberth sank into the other chair with his mug. "I heard about Adrianne. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," the shopkeeper responded curtly. He took a deep swig of ale, wiping the foam out of his mustache and looked away. Marius knew that look of pain all too well.

"It's hard," he said in the same soft voice. "Even when you lose someone in battle, it's awful, but not like this. I know." Ulfberth looked at him from under his brows, grim-faced, but nodded slowly.

"You're right," he growled. "I was in the wars, and I lost close companions, but... it was war, you know? We all knew that we might not make it. But with her, it was... so stupid. She was working late, had some piece she wanted to finish. Never came to bed. We found her the next morning slumped over the anvil. No idea what happened. Farengar said it was her heart, but I don't trust that potion-pusher as far as I could kick him... no offense," he said, with a quick glance at Marius whose magical prowess was well-known. "But there were no marks on the body, nothing to see. She was just... gone," he said, with a brief gesture of his hand that encompassed a world of suffering in one flick of the fingers. Ice blue eyes found Marius' own dark ones across the table. "You said you know. Is everything alright at home?"

"Yes, Argis is fine," Marius smiled. "That wasn't what I meant. I lost my father in a similar way; he went out one day and never came home for dinner. My first love died in my arms in a bandit attack. I've lost... a lot of people," he said soberly. "I just go on and hope for the best. All any of us can do, really." Ulfberth nodded, taking another deep swallow of ale. The slight-built mage continued "I'm not here officially, thus the robe and secrecy. I came here to get away from my own memories, though, so I'm happy to share a table with an old campaigner." He grinned at Ulfberth's snort of disgust at the word 'old'. Truly, the burly shopkeeper looked more like a warrior than a merchant, and his muscles were still massive despite theoretically sitting all day in his shop. He hardly looked old, he looked like what he was, a powerful warrior in the prime of his life. Barely a thread of white touched his hair or beard. Marius wondered idly if the man were making the weapons now that Adrianne was gone.

"Hardly that old," came the deep response, followed by an odd expression. "I guess that's part of the problem, really. I always thought we would get old together, and when one of us went, the other would be along directly, you know? I never imagined being left alone after only ten years of marriage. And things have been..." he broke off, jaw set.

"Is there something I could help with?" Marius prompted gently. By now he was used to everyone bringing their problems to him. Since his defeat of Alduin, he realized how Tiber Septim had ended up as emperor; what else would be you be, when everyone around you brought you their problems to solve? From Jarls to housewives, everyone wanted something from the dragonborn. Ulfberth looked at him, away, and then around the room, discomfort screaming from his every movement.

"I..." the burly man started, then stopped. Huffing a breath, he started again. "Maybe. I have a... problem. But this isn't the place. Could I come by your house tomorrow after I close the shop?" Worried blue eyes peered across the table and its mugs. Marius nodded with a smile, sighing only internally.

"Certainly. I have a fair bit of walking to do tomorrow, but I should be home by early evening. Say a little after seven?" Ulfberth's expression of relief made him wonder why all the secrecy. He ran through probable threats quickly in his mind; he didn't think the Thieves' Guild would lean on shopkeepers in Whiterun, the bandits had been practically nonexistent after the war, there shouldn't be vampire troubles this far south... shrugging, he supposed he would find out the next day.

"Sounds good. Thanks. See you then," Ulfberth smiled, an expression almost shocking in how it transformed the burly man's face. Suddenly Marius understood why Adrianne married him (as if the muscles on muscles weren't enough, he thought snidely). With that, the smith vanished into the crowd leaving a puzzled Marius to finish his beer and take himself home.

=

The next day was a study in misery. Marius spent the entire day tramping the country around Whiterun. He made his way past the giants' campsite and climbed the steep path up to the Ancient's Ascent (finding nothing but some recent troll-scat for his troubles). Sighing, he picked a path across the great valley and up Eldersblood Peak, wrapping himself in a curtain of warmth with spells. There were signs that a dragon had been there weeks before, but nothing to indicate any permanent residence. There were no half-eaten animals, bones, or any of the other filth that dragons left around their lairs, just a dusting of brown scales from what appeared to be a young dragon, barely out of its first molt. Not surprising it would try to hunt in the rich plains of Whiterun as opposed to the swamps of Morthal, he supposed. Using the skills Paarthurnax had taught him, Marius left a message whispered into the stones of the wall, telling the youngling that if it was seen in the lands of men again, it would be punished. I've gotten soft, he thought with a grin, but still, nothing that young deserved to die just for stretching its wings and being seen. He was half-inclined to allow it to live just for not making him tramp all the way up to Shearpoint, he grinned, as he began the long trek back to Breezehome.

It was late in the afternoon when he finally made it back to Whiterun. Using his magic to heat some water, he barely managed to finish a quick bath to wash off the road-grime before a knock came at the door. When he opened it, Ulfberth slipped inside. "Welcome," Marius said. "Despite how many times I was in and out of your shop, I don't think I've had the pleasure before, so welcome to Breezehome." The burly man stood in the middle of the room and looked around. His body might say 'warrior' but the eyes were pure merchant, summing up the value of every weapon, piece of armor and display in the house.

"Thank you for having me in your home," Ulfberth said with a smile. "It's an honor to be the guest of the Dragonborn." It wasn't until Marius opened his mouth to retort that he realized he was being teased. He grinned and shook his head, then waved his hand at the table.

"I was about to prepare some dinner. I don't have anything fancy, I'll warn you now; I'm no Gourmand, but I can fix us something if you'd like to eat, and you can tell me of your problem while I'm cooking if you'd like." A grunt of interest was all it took for Marius to start rummaging in the pantry. Fairly quickly he had set a haunch of goat he had killed that afternoon over the fire, seasoning it with juniper berries, garlic and elves' ear, then set a pot of leeks to stew as well. Meanwhile Ulfberth was speaking. Surprisingly, instead of the usual request, he seemed to be making small talk.

"You mostly live in Markarth now?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Yes, the house there is my favorite of the ones I own," Marius said, eyeing the roast critically before easing it onto the spit. "I don't come back here much. Too many memories. Besides, Vlindrel Hall's where Argis prefers to live. He's from Markarth, his family is there, you know how that goes." He looked down, focusing on the cooking food.

"I do indeed," Ulfberth said, "though many was the time I wished Adrianne had been anyone's daughter but Balgruuf's steward's." The two men grinned at each other before continuing. A shade of discomfort appeared on the larger man's face. "So... you find living with another man... easy?" Ah, Marius thought. It's going to be one of those conversations. No wonder the Mare wasn't the place for it.

"Easy depends on the person, not the body," Marius said flatly, raising an eyebrow. "I've always been partial to men, though I've had a few women just to see if it was something I enjoyed. Turned out it wasn't really my thing, though I didn't dislike it. Just liked the other more." He gazed calmly at the shopkeeper, whose discomfort seemed to be growing. "Didn't think Nords made much of bedding with one or the other, at least in my experience. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Ulfberth looked down, mouth grim. "It's not that I have any problem with it. It's just... well... something weird happened, and I figured as Dragonborn, you were the one to ask about weird problems." Now this was unexpected, Marius thought. Always interesting to expect one thing and get another. Weird problems, he was certainly familiar with... though he suspected that a shopkeeper in Whiterun probably had a different level of 'weird' than the usual sort of thing he was brought. Nevertheless, Marius did his best to look helpful.

"What sort of weird problem?" A thought hit him. "Uh... Is it a sexual problem? If so, I might not be the..." Ulfberth cut him off, as red as Marius had ever seen him.

"No, nothing like that! No it's just... this is embarrassing to say, that's all. Before Adrianne died, I spent a lot of time at the Mare in the evenings. A lot of time." He looked down, shame filling his face. "We were never very, um, intimate. That often. If you know what I mean. She was never that interested in it, and I could take care of myself, so..." A sudden image rose in Marius' mind of Ulfberth naked, stroking himself, and he had to close his eyes and force himself to focus. That sort of thought was _not_ helping. After a pause, the shopkeeper continued in a grumble "but that's not my problem. This problem I mean. You know," he sighed. "Talos, this is awkward."

"Ulfberth," Marius said, "for what it's worth, I promise that what you say stays here. If I can help, I will. If I can't, I'll be honest and tell you so. But either way, I won't go talking outside this house about anything said within it. Alright?" Ulfberth practically melted into his chair with relief, nodding.

"Thanks for that." The muscular man breathed as the anxiety visibly left his body. "Much appreciated, and yeah, that makes this a bit easier. But anyway... like I said, Adrianne and I didn't, uh, have relations very often. Not to say never... After we had been married a few years, she got pregnant and we were both excited for a month or so. Then... she lost the baby and... well, both of us sort of..." he trailed off. "You know how it goes," he said, summing up a world of hurt, disappointment and bitterness in a short sentence. Marius heard all of them. He could have cried for the couple, honestly, but he just nodded and checked again on the food. Tears wouldn't help a tragedy that old anyway. Besides, as Dragonborn, he heard so many tragedies that he was well aware crying didn't help. Ulfberth sighed. "So one night, I was drowning my sorrows in the Mare, and this fellow comes in. Looked sort of like you the other night, all done up in a robe and hood like a pilgrim, but he was drunk when he showed up. Sounded drunk, anyway; now I'm not so sure. He sat at my table and struck up a conversation. Said his name was Sam, Sam something or other, some Cyrodiil name, started with a G." Now it was Marius' turn to feel disturbed. This might very well be Dragonborn-level weird after all. He was afraid he knew all too well where this was going. "All I had was a few ales, but I seem to have blacked out. Somehow we ended up in a place I'd never seen before. Looked like a room in a brothel, but a really fancy one, nothing from here. He did... all sorts of things to me, and it was..." his husky voice had sunk to a whisper, a whisper that was doing something to Marius' groin. "It was amazing."

"Uh..." Marius said, feeling stupid and ill-prepared for this sort of discussion. "Yes, I may have heard of this person. So what's the problem? He didn't... give you anything, did he?" A gift from Sanguine (for that was almost certainly who Ulfberth was describing) would be trouble at a whole different level.

"No, I woke up the next morning in the field outside the stables. I thought it was all a dream, but there were...uh... marks," Ulfberth said shamefacedly. "It's just... well, I never really thought about men before, like that. And then I was married to Adrianne, and I loved her so it didn't matter. But I never... I never imagined it could feel like that. The only reason I ask you is that I know you like men, and you have a husband, so... is that... I don't know, normal? For it to be that good?" Marius wasn't sure whether to scream or to laugh. The man in front of him was clearly in his mid-thirties but going on fifteen, judging from the question. He also seriously doubted anything about Ulfberth's drunken encounter might have warranted being descibed as 'normal'.

"Normal? If my suspicions are correct, you went to bed with Sam Guevenne," Ulfberth's look of shock was all the confirmation needed. "I hesitate to tell you this but Sam Guevenne is a false name. That was actually the Daedric Prince Sanguine, who enjoys sleeping with humans. Congratulations, you spent a night in bed with the Lord of Debauchery and lived to tell the tale, neither of which can be said to be normal." The merchant had turned as pale as a ghost. "Is sex with a man always like that? I don't have to know what you did to say, almost certainly not. We're not all Daedric Princes. Is it good? Yes, often. Like sex with anyone else, it can be good, bad, or anywhere in between. It can be tawdry, friendly, empty, or extremely intimate and meaningful, sometimes even with the same person. Someone as attractive as you are shouldn't have trouble finding a partner if you want to find out, though you might have to leave Whiterun to do so." Biting his tongue for the last comment, Marius was totally unprepared for Ulfberth's next question.

"So... you think I'm attractive?" The mage looked over to the bearded man, mentally shaking his head. Handsome as the shopkeeper was, middle-aged, and still fishing for compliments like a teenager. Fair enough. Ulfberth looked like he couldn't decide which answer might frighten him more, yes or no. For his part, Marius still wasn't sure if he was interested or not. First times (even second first times) weren't really something that interested him, and the shopkeeper seemed to have too much emotion tied to the idea to be able to have a casual encounter.

"Now you're fishing for compliments, you know you are," he responded. "And before you ask what my husband would think, he'd think you were handsome too. If he were here his hand would probably already be in your trousers." Neither the blush nor the anxious, pleased expression that this statement produced escaped Marius' attention. He smiled sweetly at the other man's uncertain look. "We don't mind each other playing on the side. A little fun is one thing, but at the end of the day, the heart knows who owns it." He served the other man a plate of the food, which was finally ready. "But that's not what you came to ask about. Here, have something to eat. Are you making the weapons now as well as selling them?"

"No," Ulfberth said with a grateful glance at the subject change, "I'm useless in the forge. I'm buying weapons from the Khajiit traders to restock the shop. It's hard, I won't lie. They're brutal bargainers and my profits are a lot lower than they used to be. Then again, it's just me." He looked down, reminded yet again of his grief. "Sorry about the questions earlier. I just didn't know who else to ask."

"Don't be sorry," Marius said. "You forget, I'm quite familiar with Whiterun." The two men laughed companionably. "And it's not something you'd want to ask just anyone. I'm honored you'd come to me, really. It's not like we'd really talked before." An awkward pause fell as both of them stared at each other.

"So that was a Daedric Prince?" Ulfberth shook his head. "I don't even know what to think about that. This is good," he said abruptly, staring in amazement at the plate. Marius couldn't help but laugh.

"Did you think I was going to poison you? I do know how to cook some things, I believe I said that. Not exactly what you'd be eating up at Dragon's Reach, though." Ulfberth put another bite in his mouth and closed his eyes, making a pleased sound. Like the smile earlier, the expression (and the sound) went through Marius like a bolt of lightning. He thought again about Argis and the mental image of the enormous blond Nord pounding into the priest made the mage glad his breeches were loose enough to hide the erection he suddenly had. He had watched the two of them often enough to imagine it quite clearly; joined in a bit as well, though the priest wasn't as interested in threesomes as he and Argis might like. Argis did have a bit of a double standard when it came to playing around, though, and he'd be a tiny bit jealous, which made Ulfberth that much more tempting. Looking across the table, he admired Ulfberth's enormous arms; gods, he was practically built like Argis, though not as tall, Marius thought. He hadn't seen many people even among the Nords to match his husband's enormous size... in several ways. Ulfberth's groin wasn't visible but he couldn't help but wonder if the other man was hung like Argis too. Glancing up, he blushed a bit when amused blue eyes made it clear that Ulfberth knew exactly what was going through his mind. Marius cleared his throat. "Uh... can I offer you something to drink?"

"Ale, if you have it." Ulfberth's voice sounded a bit hoarse. "Otherwise mead, water, whatever you have." Marius stood up and he caught the burly warrior eyeing him as he moved around the room. Suddenly he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted this man. He opened a bottle of Blackbriar mead and passed it over.

"No ale, I'm afraid," Marius said in a low voice, "but I always love the taste of this." He gave a half-smile just this side of courtesy. Ulfberth's look of stunned amazement passed only when he took a swig of mead and coughed.

"Talos, that's strong!" he said, wheezing a bit. "Never had the Blackbriar before." He sipped from the bottle more cautiously. "It tastes wonderful, though. Smooth and sweet. Should have known you would have good taste." Ulfberth flushed a bit. "I mean..."

"I knew what you meant," Marius smiled. "And I do have good taste. I know what I like when I see it." He ran his eyes over the muscular warrior seated in front of him, making an obvious show of it. From the long, ebony colored hair tied back with a bit of leather to the full beard, the massive shoulders leading out into almost unbelievably muscular arms, the thick waist and enormous thighs, this man was built like a block of stone. He had to admit, the shopkeep was exactly his type. From this side of the table, he could almost see the man's groin, but it was still hidden. He slowly raised his dark eyes up to the ice blue ones in challenge. "And I like what I see."

"I, uh, I like what I see too," Ulfberth said, then burst out laughing, breaking the mood a bit. "I'm terrible at this. I can't flirt worth a damn, and words aren't my thing." He grinned at Marius, and the smile was so sweet and vulnerable and boyish that if he hadn't already been enamored of the other man, that smile would have done it. "But I do think you're sexy. And if your husband won't mind, I'd love to see how it all works. Don't want that mountain mad at me, though," he said with a nervous chuckle. Marius had to laugh too. He knew Argis would be jealous that Marius had someone new without him, but that was what he got for refusing to come to Whiterun, the mage thought with a smile. I can make it up to him. Jealous sex could be some of the best sex. He eased down beside the chair the other man was sitting in and leaned in.

"Argis will be jealous, but only because he wasn't here to play too," he whispered, licking the shimmery taste of mead off of a pair of surprisingly soft lips and the coarse beard hairs surrounding it. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss onto that mouth and was surprised when Ulfberth surged upward, half-lifting him as though he weighed nothing, pressing him against the massive chest. The massive Nord smelled like forge-smoke and weapon oil, a scent Marius suddenly found overwhelmingly erotic. Now he could see the groin and... oh. He slid his hand down to check and moaned when he found a very large cock. Ulfberth didn't feel bigger than Argis, but Marius didn't think that was possible on anyone human. Suddenly he was determined to see it for himself. "I would suggest we look upstairs for dessert," he said, grinning wickedly at the enthusiasm on the other man's face. Another kiss left him breathless and tingling from the beard, and wrapped around each other they stumbled up the risers of the staircase, banging on the wall at the corner.

When the tunic was off, Ulfberth's hairy chest made him look like the bear he was named for. As the other man's hands went to his trousers, Marius stopped him. "Wait," he whispered, "let me do it." He knelt down in front of the Nord and then reached out and untied the cloth rope holding the breeches shut. They both gasped as he pulled them down, Ulfberth for his own reasons and Marius in surprise as a massive treetrunk of an erect cock was revealed, half-hooded with foreskin and dangerous looking. All of a sudden Marius was blindingly aware of why Sanguine would have chosen the shopkeeper for his revels. Even a Daedra would respect this! Ulfberth was looking down at him hesitantly.

"I don't... know what to do," he said in a low voice, shame making it a bit rough.

"I know, it's alright, I'll show you," Marius said sweetly, though he sighed internally. He did know, and he resigned himself to the possibility that this might go poorly. Ulfberth's hands were rough and callused from weapons practice, but they were surprisingly gentle as they traced Marius' shoulders through his robe, slid along the cords of his clean-shaven throat and traced his ear. Thick fingers slid through his hair as though unfamiliar with the texture; Marius could feel the calluses catching briefly on strands of his hair. He slid away with a half-twist, trying for seductive and seeming to achieve it judging by Ulfberth's widened eyes and sudden hoarse breathing, then slipped off the pilgrim's robe he was wearing to stand in his breechclout. He knew he looked good. He had the smooth olive skin of the Empire, scarred a bit but still untouched by time. His muscles were lean and strong, kept up by the ceaseless work of his many responsibilities, and his own dark curls were still untouched by snow. He twisted as he bent down to unlace his sandals, making sure to give the big Nord a good show of it, flexing his thighs and making his ass jump. Ulfberth's soft grunt of approval made him smile as he looked back over his shoulder at the Nord. The other man was fighting with his boots, trying to take them off, but was so distracted by Marius' show that he could barely make his fingers work. The mage gave a lazy, slow smile. "Like what you see?"

"Yeah," came the response. "Very much." Ulfberth came and reached out for him, but his movements were still hesitant, like he was worried that Marius might break or run away. They sank together onto the pile of furs on the wide bed.

"I'm not fragile, you know," the mage said, trying to smile to make a joke of it. "Don't worry about me, use your strength, I like it." The other man looked half-horrified, but rallied gamely and applied a tiny bit more pressure so that Marius felt almost like he was being touched by a man and not a spirit. Marius rubbed up against him, reveling in the scratch of all that fur against his skin and sliding his leg along the burly thigh. He was forced to marvel again at just how thick the shopkeeper was. He had no fat on him, but he was just massive. Each of his thighs was almost the size of Marius' waist, his biceps like melons. Marius leaned into those giant arms and bit lightly at the bulge of the shoulder, getting another of those delicious grunts. Still Ulfberth's touch was slow and gentle, sliding his hands across Marius' skin and making him feel both aroused and frustrated at the same time. Argis would have him on all fours by now, riding him like a beast; most of the other Nords he had been with were (if not quite so forceful) very clear about what they wanted. The mage reached out and grabbed the wandering hands, staring deep into surprised blue eyes. "Use your strength, I said. Fuck me, Ulfberth. Make me yours." Instead of the permission he thought he was giving, the Nord seemed to take this as a complaint, and just pulled back and folded in on himself. The huge erection began to wilt.

"I... I'm sorry," he said, "maybe I should go." Ulfberth started to get out of bed, shoulders hunched, and Marius realized at that moment that he had badly misread the entire situation. A deep shame seized him, and he resolved to fix this.

"No," he said softly, "I'm sorry. I should be the one to apologize. You told me you didn't know what to do, and here I am trying to treat you like you've been doing this your whole life. Come here," he said, patting the furs beside himself. When Ulfberth didn't move, he reached out and gently wrapped his hand around the thick forearm. "Please." The burly shopkeeper sank back down onto the furs, but that delectable cock showed that it still wasn't convinced. "I said I'm sorry," he said in a seductive whisper, "let me show you as well." He pressed his lips into the soft skin of the Nord's throat, beard scratching at the side of his face, then kissed his way downwards. The scent of weapon oil was here as well, but mixed with a spicy, bitter scent that was all man. He stopped at the mountainous chest to bite at his nipples through the black pelt, making Ulfberth sigh and arch up. "I'm sorry," he said with a wicked grin, then bit down again, reveling in the heavy hands that pressed against his shoulders with a bit more strength this time. He made his way down the hairy, cobbled belly, biting and nibbling at the Nord's sides until both moans and snorted giggles were produced. "So sorry," he repeated, running his tongue along the exposed slit at the end of the huge cock, once again proudly erect. "Forgive me," he said, catching and keeping Ulfberth's astonished gaze as he sank his mouth onto the thick bellend of the Nord's massive meat. Dibella be praised for my experience with Argis, he thought as he slid up and down, relaxing his throat. Without that, I'd never be able to do this. Still, more than half of its length remained untouched.

"Gods," Ulfberth gasped, "that's... how... oh gods, so good, so good." Now this was more like it, Marius thought. He reached out and took hold of the Nord's hands, moving them to his head. Ulfberth seemed to get the idea, pressing lightly but firmly against the crisp black curls and guiding Marius' head back and forth. "Nobody... hnn... nobody ever..." Yes, I'd suspected that was true, Marius would have said, but his mouth was otherwise occupied. His hands ran up furry thighs to cup the Nord's large balls, their heat almost shocking as they drew up. Not yet, my boys, not yet, Marius thought as he pulled back. His lips pulled off with an audible smack, and Ulfberth looked down at him. This was a sight worth seeing. The burly Nord's eyes were blown wide and black with lust, lips parted slightly showing white teeth, and his skin was flushed with desire under the full beard. His pulse was visible on the side of his neck, heart racing. With a quick cantrip and an extended hand, a jar of troll fat smacked into Marius' palm as Ulfberth jumped. The mage giggled; the Nord nervousness around magic never ceased to amuse him, especially considering the amount of it they had around.

"Shh," he whispered, "nothing scary, something very good in fact." He dipped out a dollop of it and smeared it around his hand, then took the stiff flesh in his hand, smoothing it up and down. Ulfberth's eyes rolled back in his head. "See? Nothing scary at all." He shifted forward, straddling the Nord and pressing the head against his entrance. Leaning back, he felt the familiar burning sensation of penetration. "God yes, that's so good," he sighed, opening his eyes to see Ulfberth goggling at him.

"Doesn't it... hurt?" the Nord asked gingerly, even as he clearly fought the urge to buck upwards into the soft warmth enfolding him.

"A bit," Marius admitted, "but it's a good hurt. This oversized cock of yours might have been a problem, but I've got enough experience to handle it." He smiled at the burly man under him. "Now I'm going to start this, and then you're going to take over. Is that alright with you?" A distracted nod was all the response he got, but gauging from the narrowed eyes and bitten lip, Ulfberth needed a moment to avoid spending immediately. He kept an eye on the other man, and when he saw signs of the crisis being past, he began to move up and down. A whining gasp was his reward. As he moved, he reveled in the view underneath him. The Nord really did have a magnificent body. Each time he raised himself and slammed himself down on the thick cock below him, a surge of pleasure/pain raced through every nerve in his body and Ulfberth grunted beneath him. It was almost too good. Still, after only a few minutes, his leg muscles began to protest and he remembered that they had already been expected to climb two mountains today. "Very good," Marius said after the second cramp. "Now it's your turn to do the work." Standing up, he lay face down on the bed, looking back over his shoulder to where Ulfberth seemed captivated by the sight.

The massive Nord slowly eased forward between Marius' splayed legs, and the mage raised up on his knees to meet him. He pressed forward so slowly Marius finally bucked backwards to meet him, provoking a strained grunt from both as they were joined together. The Nord eased out slowly and back in at the same snail's pace, driving Marius almost mad. This time, the mage knew better than to sound in any way harsh. Instead he said "Speed up a bit, it will feel better for both of us." A tiny increase in speed was his reward. "Keep going, a bit faster," he sighed, moaning at how good it felt, "if it gets too fast or hard, I'll tell you. If I don't say anything, keep going." In response to a dubious look, he just panted "Trust me." That did it. These instructions seemed to make sense in a way the more forceful ones hadn't, and within only a few minutes Ulfberth was plowing Marius properly. "Gods yes," he sighed, clutching at the broad shoulders, wrapping his legs around the thick hips plunging against him, into him, plundering him over and over and making him wail. "That's amazing, you're so good," he said... with no exaggeration this time, unlike the start of this encounter. Marius was so immersed in the pleasure of it that he came almost unexpectedly, orgasm sneaking up on him like a thief, stealing his wits as pearls of white spunk painted the furs in the bed. He didn't even mention it beyond a wordless cry of pleasure, continuing his praise of his burly lover. With each comment of happiness, Ulfberth seemed to swell inside him until suddenly with a series of bearlike grunts Marius was being filled. It had clearly been a long while, since the Nord's pleasure went on and on, eyes squeezed shut and body shaking as pulse after pulse went through him. As they disengaged, Marius winced in spite of himself and Ulfberth immediately seemed concerned.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to be too..." Marius cut him off.

"Don't even think of apologizing, that was wonderful. It's just always a little sensitive afterwards. But you're a damn fast learner, I'll say that," Marius grinned up at him and enjoyed the blush that spread across the Nord's broad features.

"I always worry I'll hurt someone," came the mumbled response. "Adrianne didn't like how big I was, and... she told me I was too rough." Oh. Well, doesn't that explain everything, Marius thought soberly. He suspected from Ulfberth's hesitance that he had been told that more than once. His heart cracked a bit for the other man.

"You're big, there's no two ways around that," Marius responded, leaning over to drag the shopkeeper down into a proper embrace. Nothing was better after being ridden hard than a good cuddle, especially with a burly mass of muscle twice his size. "But people are different. What she liked was what she liked, and it was right for her but each person you're with will have different tastes. You've seen Argis," he said with a grin that was returned somewhat awkwardly, but returned nonetheless. "If I didn't like being ridden hard by muscular men who happen to be very well hung, I couldn't have gone to bed with him once, let alone married him." They both snorted with laughter. "Some men like to be ordered around; some like to do the ordering. Some like it rough, some soft, some in between. It's not any different with women, from what I've seen. Everyone has their tastes, it's just up to you to find out if they are the same as yours. Sometimes you will find someone you think is attractive but what they want just... isn't something you can give them." Sobering memories crowded forward, but he shook them off. Snuggling down into the warm, hairy chest, he could easily have drifted off. "Stay the night?" he asked softly.

"I..." Ulfberth sounded uncomfortable again. "No," he finally said, "I should be going. Thank you for everything, and please don't think I'm..." Marius waved away his objections. He understood. The Nord sat up on the edge of the bed and stared down at his hands. "You've been very kind, more than I deserve. But still I think... if I stay, I won't want to go, if you get my meaning. It's late. Better to go home now, and be set to open the shop tomorrow." The bearded face was more relaxed, but worry was still a shadow on it, furrowing the brow and dragging down the corners of his mouth. The mage knew what was being said.

In a hearty tone, he replied "Well I wouldn't want to keep you from your shop. Even so... you're a good man, Ulfberth. If I was single I'd be in your shop every day. And I'm sure you will find someone who will make you happy. You deserve it. Don't settle for less, alright?" Another boyish grin was the response, and Marius knew that the other man had made the right choice. He could easily develop inconvenient emotions for this man, husband or no. "And if you're still interested when I return, maybe next time I'll bring Argis and we can give you some advanced lessons. Sound fun?"

"Absolutely," came the response. They both knew it was a lie. Marius walked (well, staggered) down the stairs after they got dressed and saw the shopkeeper out, watching him walk to his own doorway before going back inside. He was tired, but it took a long time to fall asleep that night. Time to go back to Markarth, Marius thought. It's for the best. In spite of himself, he buried his nose into the furs that still smelled like weapon oil before drifting off to sleep.


End file.
